Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC 2022)

ACPIC 2022 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Brisbane (September 2022) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Embracing Strengths | Shaping Futures

Rapid establishment of a COVID-19 cell to support triage of emergency ambulance calls

In early 2022 Western Australia saw its first uncontrolled outbreak of COVID-19. Based on exponentially increasing case numbers and the experience interstate and overseas, we predicted we may be overwhelmed by demand for ambulance attendance for COVID-19 related conditions. We rapidly stood up a new service to provide secondary triage for COVID-19 related calls with a view to ensuring appropriate health care for patients while managing demand and minimising staff exposure. Paramedics safely and successfully triaged calls and we had many learnings to bring into standard practice.

Biography: Jason Belcher

Jason is a clinical manager and paramedic with St John WA, and completing a Master's degree by research at Curtin University focussing on assessment of patient conscious state during emergency calls. He has worked in the prehospital care field for over 10 years as a frontline paramedic and in health service liaison and secondary triage roles before joining the clinical governance team. He has interests in patient safety, telephone triage and telehealth, and systems for recognising patient deterioration.

Moderated by: Clare Sutton, Senior Lecturer, Paramedicine, Charles Sturt University